kvmb Chapter 268 Wedding Room
Chapter 268 Wedding Room
Shen Qingtan's watery eyes widened in surprise as she stared at the room filled with red.
The room was decorated exactly like a wedding room.
Before coming to Xishan, Shen Qingtan knew that things wouldn't be too peaceful, and that the Fourth Madam would always create some "surprises".
She had imagined many scenes of intimate moments in the boudoir, but she never imagined that the Fourth Madam would decorate their courtyard as a bridal chamber.
Upon entering the room, she saw that the canopy bed was covered with mandarin duck pillows and a hundred-child quilt, and the curtains were embroidered with lotus and osmanthus patterns, symbolizing the birth of many sons.
The plum blossom and bat patterns on the curtain also symbolize the five blessings of plum blossoms.
Shen Qingtan's fingers touched the bright red dress placed in the middle of the bed, and she couldn't help but recall her wedding day, when she married Zhao Yi with hatred for the second wife and the Chengen Marquis's mansion.
She had no expectations for marriage; she only wanted to use her status as Zhao Yi's wife to escape the Chengen Marquis's mansion and complete her revenge.
She never imagined that Zhao Yi would become her destined one.
They went from strangers to husband and wife, respecting and supporting each other after marriage, and now they understand each other perfectly.
Now that Zhao Yi's illness is cured, they can grow old together, and everything is moving in a positive direction.
Shen Qingtan turned to look at Zhao Yi, only to see him staring blankly at the festive decorations in the room. She couldn't help but smile.
Aunt Si's arrangement suited her perfectly.
This marks a new beginning.
Shen Qingtan withdrew her hand and slowly walked to Zhao Yi's side: "Second Master, are you tired? Why don't you rest for a bit?"
Zhao Yi shook her head slightly, her gaze falling on Shen Qingtan's face. She seemed completely at ease with everything in the room, as if she would accept whatever happened.
For once, Uncle and Aunt Si were serious and went to great lengths to prepare a wedding room for them.
Zhao Yi was very satisfied with the layout here.
When they got married, neither of them intended to grow old together. He knew he didn't have long to live, and he knew even more that she had no choice but to marry him.
They tacitly respected each other and fulfilled their respective responsibilities.
But in their daily interactions, they gradually became attracted to each other and gave each other their true feelings.
Zhao Yi felt a sense of regret. Their marriage was arranged by chance, and the wedding ceremony was not conducted according to custom, which she always felt was not quite perfect.
This has now fulfilled a long-held regret in his heart.
"I'm not tired." Zhao Yi's eyes were clear and bright, and a smile played on her lips. "There's a hot spring in Xishan. Would you like to soak in it?"
Shen Qingtan's eyes flickered slightly, and she was about to answer.
Just then, Zhiyi's voice came from outside: "Second Grandma, are you inside?"
"Yes." Shen Qingtan walked to the door, opened it, and looked at Zhiyi: "Fourth Aunt, is there something you need from me?"
"Second Madam, Fourth Madam invites you to the hot springs tonight." Zhiyi glanced at Zhao Yi behind Shen Qingtan and said with a forced smile, "Are you free tonight?"
Shen Qingtan glanced at the room's furnishings, thinking that the Fourth Madam wouldn't cause any more trouble, and agreed.
"Go tell Fourth Aunt that I will wait for her at the hot spring after I finish dinner."
"This servant will go and report back immediately."
Once Zhiyi received confirmation, she hurriedly left.
After Shen Qingtan and the others had walked away, she turned to Zhao Yi and said, "Fourth Aunt has done her best to decorate our courtyard, so I have to go and thank her."
Zhao Yi, however, sensed something unusual. Given Zhao Qiyuan's possessiveness towards the Fourth Madam, he would never allow her to soak in the hot springs with other people.
It's highly unusual that the Fourth Madam is sending someone to invite Shen Qingtan to the hot springs.
"Are you sure you want to go?" Zhao Yi asked. "Aren't you worried that something unexpected might happen to Fourth Aunt?"
Shen Qingtan believed that the Fourth Madam would not harm her; it was simply that she had no taboos about matters of love between men and women.
She knew that this trip to Xishan would most likely lead to her consummating her relationship with Zhao Yi. To her, it was simply a natural progression.
She was always too embarrassed to talk about private matters between husband and wife in front of the Fourth Madam, and was often teased by the Fourth Madam until she blushed and her heart raced.
Seeing this bridal chamber today, she suddenly realized that intimacy between husband and wife is a very normal thing.
The fourth madam deliberately gave them a surprise, ensuring she wouldn't disturb their good time, probably because she had something to say to her.
"What kind of accident could happen? They can't possibly eat me." Shen Qingtan's eyes glistened with tears as she smiled gently, "Second Master, don't you think so?"
Zhao Yi: "..."
-
In the evening, after finishing her dinner, Shen Qingtan went to the hot spring pool to keep her appointment.
Meanwhile, Zhao Jue went to the other courtyard.
He received a letter from Shen Mingzhu early this morning, inviting him to meet at the villa to put an end to the matter once and for all.
Zhao Jue did not want to see Shen Mingzhu. In his view, it was Shen Mingzhu's appearance that ruined everything for him.
It was truly a single thought that reversed his fate.
The reason he went to the appointment was to ask Shen Mingzhu why this villa had fallen into her hands.
After their second branch of the family was expelled from the clan, everything under their name fell into Shen Qingtan's hands.
Zhao Jue stood at the gate of the villa on the outskirts of Beijing and pounded on the door.
A short while later, the tightly closed courtyard gate opened.
Zhao Jue was slightly stunned when he saw Shen Mingzhu.
She had slender, willow-leaf eyebrows, eyes that seemed to hold the waters of autumn, and cheeks painted with rouge, like snow reflecting the morning sun—a beautiful and captivating sight.
Zhao Jue was momentarily dazed. Since the collapse of the Marquis's mansion, Shen Mingzhu had never dressed like this again.
She kept imitating Shen Qingtan, hoping to win his heart in the process.
Whenever Zhao Jue thought of this, he felt that Shen Mingzhu was foolish and could never see through what he wanted.
"Third Master, you've arrived." Shen Mingzhu smiled sweetly, as if they were newlyweds, and called out to him, "Third Master, you said you liked my pan-fried fish the most, even better than the cooks in the Duke's mansion. I haven't cooked for you since we came to the capital, so I'll make it for you one last time today."
Zhao Jue didn't remember ever saying that she liked Shen Mingzhu's pan-fried fish, and she had no interest in having a farewell dinner with Shen Mingzhu.
He patiently asked, "How did you come to own this villa?"
"Third Master, come inside and talk." Shen Mingzhu tugged at Zhao Jue's sleeve, leading him into the courtyard. Seeing that he didn't move, she casually said, "You kicked me out of the Zhao family, and I had nowhere to go, so I went to find Shen Qingtan..."
Sure enough, as soon as she mentioned Shen Qingtan, Zhao Jue started walking, following her lead into the courtyard.
Shen Mingzhu's smile remained unchanged as she led Zhao Jue into the house and closed the door behind her. She then had Zhao Jue sit down at the table, poured him a glass of wine, and picked up a small fried fish for him with chopsticks.
"Try it, see if my cooking is any different from before?" Shen Mingzhu sat down opposite Zhao Jue, poured herself a glass of wine, and took a bite of the fried fish. "Mmm, it's even better than before."
Zhao Jue dared not touch the food in his bowl, nor the wine, for fear that Shen Mingzhu might have poisoned it.
They are the same kind of people; both are selfish and cowardly.
Zhao Jue asked impatiently, "What methods did you use to threaten Shen Qingtan into giving you the villa?"